My daughter is 6 (almost 7!) and we talk a lot about emotions, and specifically color associations with emotions at this age. For example- yellow for happy, green for calm, red for angry, blue for sad and so on… Rain makes me think of sad too.
I live in Houston, Texas and we get a lot of rain a year, more than the average for the US. Rain makes me think of being sleepy too, curled up with a good book listening the pitter patter of the droplets hitting the roof and pavement.
Rain can also be violent though. From June to September every year is hurricane season for us and we have had some big ones- Alicia, Allison, Ike, Rita, HARVEY! My parents house flooded in Hurricane Harvey, knee deep water throughout the house, everything ruined, it was a devastating experience.
I love rainbows. My daughter’s room is decorated with them and I love their message- God’s promise that we will make it through the storm. I also love what rainbows symbolize in the modern political climate- LBGTQ rights. Everyone has a right to be loved, by whomever they want and I think it is great that the rainbow is a symbol of such a powerful movement and message.
Whether rain is a happy thought- think puddles and rain boots and umbrellas, or a scary one,- think floods and hurricanes and devastation – water is the number one thing we need on this planet to survive. In the hot, dry months we pray for rain and in the wet months we hope we don’t get too much. It is a balance like all things in life.
Balance is what helps me manage my mental illness the most. Sometimes having Bipolar disorder I feel like I am two people sharing the same body, ying or yang, up or down, right or left- but never middle, even, or steady. It is a struggle to manage an illness of extremes and to have a personality essentially based on extremes. I either want to wear full makeup with a fancy flowy dress, or sweats and a baseball cap. Nothing is ever easy with a Bipolar diagnosis, but moderation helps, especially sleep moderation and calming activities before bed so I get enough well rested sleep. It’s raining tonight, a slow gentle rain, which will help me relax and sleep hopefully. Here’s to calm rain, rainbows, and God’s promise that everything will be alright regardless of a difficult mental health diagnosis.
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